暮色-第71部分

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under　Jasper's　careful　supervision。　

But　Alice　followed　me　casually；　as　if　by　some　coincidence　she　had　grown　
tired　of　the　front　room　at　the　same　time。　I　was　beginning　to　wonder　
exactly　what　sort　of　instructions　Edward　had　given　her。　I　lay　across　the　

bed；　and　she　sat；　legs　folded；　next　to　me。　I　ignored　her　at　first；　
suddenly　tired　enough　to　sleep。　But　after　a　few　minutes；　the　panic　that　
had　held　off　in　Jasper's　presence　began　to　make　itself　known。　I　gave　up　
on　the　idea　of　sleep　quickly　then；　curling　up　into　a　small　ball；　wrapping　
my　arms　around　my　legs。　

〃Alice？〃　I　asked。　

〃Yes？〃　

I　kept　my　voice　very　calm。　〃What　do　you　think　they're　doing？〃　

〃Carlisle　wanted　to　lead　the　tracker　as　far　north　as　possible；　wait　for　
him　to　get　close；　and　then　turn　and　ambush　him。　Esme　and　Rosalie　were　
supposed　to　head　west　as　long　as　they　could　keep　the　female　behind　them。　
If　she　turned　around；　they　were　to　head　back　to　Forks　and　keep　an　eye　on　
your　dad。　So　I　imagine　things　are　going　well　if　they　can't　call。　It　means　
the　tracker　is　close　enough　that　they　don't　want　him　to　overhear。〃　

〃And　Esme？〃　

〃I　think　she　must　be　back　in　Forks。　She　won't　call　if　there's　any　chance　
the　female　will　overhear。　I　expect　they're　all　just　being　very　careful。〃　

〃Do　you　think　they're　safe；　really？〃　

〃Bella；　how　many　times　do　we　have　to　tell　you　that　there's　no　danger　to　
us？〃　

〃Would　you　tell　me　the　truth；　though？〃　

〃Yes。　I　will　always　tell　you　the　truth。〃　Her　voice　was　earnest。　

I　deliberated　for　a　moment；　and　decided　she　meant　it。　

〃Tell　me　then…　how　do　you　bee　a　vampire？〃　

My　question　caught　her　off　guard。　She　was　quiet。　I　rolled　over　to　look　at　
her；　and　her　expression　seemed　ambivalent。　

〃Edward　doesn't　want　me　to　tell　you　that；〃　she　said　firmly；　but　I　sensed　
she　didn't　agree。　

〃That's　not　fair。　I　think　I　have　a　right　to　know。〃　

〃I　know。〃　

I　looked　at　her；　waiting。　

She　sighed。　〃He'll　be　extremely　angry。〃　

〃It's　none　of　his　business。　This　is　between　you　and　me。　Alice；　as　a　
friend；　I'm　begging　you。〃　And　we　were　friends　now；　somehow　—　as　she　must　
have　known　we　would　be　all　along。　

She　looked　at　me　with　her　splendid；　wise　eyes…　choosing。　

〃I'll　tell　you　the　mechanics　of　it；〃　she　said　finally；　〃but　I　don't　
remember　it　myself；　and　I've　never　done　it　or　seen　it　done；　so　keep　in　
mind　that　I　can　only　tell　you　the　theory。〃　

I　waited。　

〃As　predators；　we　have　a　glut　of　weapons　in　our　physical　arsenal　—　much；　
much　more　than　really　necessary。　The　strength；　the　speed；　the　acute　
senses；　not　to　mention　those　of　us　like　Edward；　Jasper；　and　I；　who　have　
extra　senses　as　well。　And　then；　like　a　carnivorous　flower；　we　are　
physically　attractive　to　our　prey。〃　

I　was　very　still；　remembering　how　pointedly　Edward　had　demonstrated　the　
same　concept　for　me　in　the　meadow。　

She　smiled　a　wide；　ominous　smile。　〃We　have　another　fairly　superfluous　
weapon。　We're　also　venomous；〃　she　said；　her　teeth　glistening。　〃The　venom　
doesn't　kill　—　it's　merely　incapacitating。　It　works　slowly；　spreading　
through　the　bloodstream；　so　that；　once　bitten；　our　prey　is　in　too　much　
physical　pain　to　escape　us。　Mostly　superfluous；　as　I　said。　If　we're　that　
close；　the　prey　doesn't　escape。　Of　course；　there　are　always　exceptions。　
Carlisle；　for　example。〃　

〃So…　if　the　venom　is　left　to　spread…〃　I　murmured。　

〃It　takes　a　few　days　for　the　transformation　to　be　plete；　depending　on　
how　much　venom　is　in　the　bloodstream；　how　close　the　venom　enters　to　the　
heart。　As　long　as　the　heart　keeps　beating；　the　poison　spreads；　healing；　
changing　the　body　as　it　moves　through　it。　Eventually　the　heart　stops；　and　
the　conversion　is　finished。　But　all　that　time；　every　minute　of　it；　a　
victim　would　be　wishing　for　death。〃　

I　shivered。　

〃It's　not　pleasant；　you　see。〃　

〃Edward　said　that　it　was　very　hard　to　do…　I　don't　quite　understand；〃　I　
said。　

〃We're　also　like　sharks　in　a　way。　Once　we　taste　the　blood；　or　even　smell　
it　for　that　matter；　it　bees　very　hard　to　keep　from　feeding。　Sometimes　
impossible。　So　you　see；　to　actually　bite　someone；　to　taste　the　blood；　it　
would　begin　the　frenzy。　It's　difficult　on　both　sides　—　the　bloodlust　on　
the　one　hand；　the　awful　pain　on　the　other。〃　

〃Why　do　you　think　you　don't　remember？〃　

〃I　don't　know。　For　everyone　else；　the　pain　of　transformation　is　the　
sharpest　memory　they　have　of　their　human　life。　I　remember　nothing　of　
being　human。〃　Her　voice　was　wistful。　

We　lay　silently；　wrapped　in　our　individual　meditations。　

The　seconds　ticked　by；　and　I　had　almost　forgotten　her　presence；　I　was　so　
enveloped　in　my　thoughts。　

Then；　without　any　warning；　Alice　leaped　from　the　bed；　landing　lightly　on　
her　feet。　My　head　jerked　up　as　I　stared　at　her；　startled。　

〃Something's　changed。〃　Her　voice　was　urgent；　and　she　wasn't　talking　to　me　
anymore。　

She　reached　the　door　at　the　same　time　Jasper　did。　He　had　obviously　heard　
our　conversation　and　her　sudden　exclamation。　He　put　his　hands　on　her　
shoulders　and　guided　her　back　to　the　bed；　sitting　her　on　the　edge。　

〃What　do　you　see？〃　he　asked　intently；　staring　into　her　eyes。　Her　eyes　
were　focused　on　something　very　far　away。　I　sat　close　to　her；　leaning　in　
to　catch　her　low；　quick　voice。　

〃I　see　a　room。　It's　long；　and　there　are　mirrors　everywhere。　The　floor　is　
wooden。　He's　in　the　room；　and　he's　waiting。　There's　gold…　a　gold　stripe　
across　the　mirrors。〃　

〃Where　is　the　room？〃　

〃I　don't　know。　Something　is　missing　—　another　decision　hasn't　been　made　
yet。〃　

〃How　much　time？〃　

〃It's　soon。　He'll　be　in　the　mirror　room　today；　or　maybe　tomorrow。　It　all　
depends。　He's　waiting　for　something。　And　he's　in　the　dark　now。〃　

Jasper's　voice　was　calm；　methodical；　as　he　questioned　her　in　a　practiced　
way。　〃What　is　he　doing？〃　

〃He's　watching　TV…　no；　he's　running　a　VCR；　in　the　dark；　in　another　place。〃　

〃Can　you　see　where　he　is？〃　

〃No；　it's　too　dark。〃　

〃And　the　mirror　room；　what　else　is　there？〃　

〃Just　the　mirrors；　and　the　gold。　It's　a　band；　around　the　room。　And　
there's　a　black　table　with　a　big　stereo；　and　a　TV。　He's　touching　the　VCR　
there；　but　he　doesn't　watch　the　way　he　does　in　the　dark　room。　This　is　the　
room　where　he　waits。〃　Her　eyes　drifted；　then　focused　on　Jasper's　face。　

〃There's　nothing　else？〃　

She　shook　her　head。　They　looked　at　each　other；　motionless。　

〃What　does　it　mean？〃　I　asked。　

Neither　of　them　answered　for　a　moment；　then　Jasper　looked　at　me。　

〃It　means　the　tracker's　plans　have　changed。　He's　made　a　decision　that　
will　lead　him　to　the　mirror　room；　and　the　dark　room。〃　

〃But　we　don't　know　where　those　rooms　are？〃　

〃No。〃　

〃But　we　do　know　that　he　won't　be　in　the　mountains　north　of　Washington；　
being　hunted。　He'll　elude　them。〃　Alice's　voice　was　bleak。　

〃Should　we　call？〃　I　asked。　They　traded　a　serious　look；　undecided。　

And　the　phone　rang。　

Alice　was　across　the　room　before　I　could　lift　my　head　to　look　at　it。　

She　pushed　a　button　and　held　the　phone　to　her　ear；　but　she　didn't　speak　
first。　

〃Carlisle；〃　she　breathed。　She　didn't　seem　surprised　or　relieved；　the　way　
I　felt。　

〃Yes；〃　she　said；　glancing　at　me。　She　listened　for　a　long　moment。　

〃I　just　saw　him。〃　She　described　again　the　vision　she'd　seen。　〃Whatever　
made　him　get　on　that　plane…　it　was　leading　him　to　those　rooms。〃　She　
paused。　〃Yes；〃　Alice　said　into　the　phone；　and　then　she　spoke　to　me。　
〃Bella？〃　

She　held　the　phone　out　toward　me。　I　ran　to　it。　

〃Hello？〃　I　breathed。　

〃Bella；〃　Edward　said。　

〃Oh；　Edward！　I　was　so　worried。〃　

〃Bella；〃　he　sighed　in　frustration；　〃I　told　you　not　to　worry　about　
anything　but　yourself。〃　It　was　so　unbelievably　good　to　hear　his　voice。　I　
felt　the　hovering　cloud　of　despair　lighten　and　drift　back　as　he　spoke。　

〃Where　are　you？〃　

〃We're　outside　of　Vancouver。　Bella；　I'm　sorry　—　we　lost　him。　He　seems　
suspicious　of　us　—　he's　careful　to　stay　just　far　enough　away　that　I　can't　
hear　what　he's　thinking。　But　he's　gone　now　—　it　looks　like　he　got　on　a　
plane。　We　think　he's　heading　back　to　Forks　to　start　over。〃　I　could　hear　
Alice　filling　in　Jasper　behind　me；　her　quick　words　blurring　together　into　
a　humming　noise。　

〃I　know。　Alice　saw　that